Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday launched the flagship programme of Navaratnalu ‘Pedalandariki Illu,’ (housing for poor) at Komaragiri layout of Pithapuram Assembly constituency in East Godavari district.

Speaking at the launch event, he said that he had witnessed the plight of the homeless poor during his 3,648 km padayatra and that had driven him to take up this massive project, despite encountering many hurdles.

He said that about 30.75 lakh beneficiaries have been identified across the State, of which 28.30 lakh houses will be given under 17,000 YSR Jagananna layouts and another 2.62 lakh are of Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TIDCO) flats.

“We are not constructing just ‘houses’ for poor, we are constructing towns. The government will take up the construction of 28.30 lakh houses at a total cost of ₹50,940 crore. In the first phase 15.60 lakh houses will be taken up at a cost of ₹28,000 crore and the work on the remaining 12.70 lakh house will commence from next year,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the government had acquired 68,361 acres of land worth ₹23,535 crore, where each beneficiary will receive a land costing around ₹4 lakh.

Referring to the TIDCO housing, he said that for the first time in the country, a house site patta is being given for just one rupee to the beneficiaries. The entire TIDCO housing burdens the government of ₹4,237 crore and another ₹3,000 crore for creating basic infrastructure facilities.

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